Gift Service Exchanges Online Gifts

Santa's little helper writes "According to this story on New Scientist, it will soon be possible to exchange unwanted Christmas gifts before they are even shipped." I just find this amusing, my favorite part is the line 'instead of unwrapping presents, we might take turns logging on to a computer'. Click here for merry christmas.

Comments

Mail me!

[grub]

If anyone has an unwanted RealDoll (preferably unused) feel free to mail me! :)

Details on gifts...

[Violet Null]

RichFX, based in New York City, is developing the "virtual gift exchange". The service allows someone to send a virtual greeting card with details of the gift. If it is not up to scratch, the recipient can exchange it for another one at the same store, before it ever gets shipped.

In other news, it was determined that if you told someone what you were going to get them for Christmas before actually buying it, or, better yet, brought them along when you bought their gift, returns and exchanges could be reduced to almost nil.

Too bad they can't...

[rmadmin]

target kids with this! You know they'd love that! But the plain and simple fact is you can't throw a 3 year old infront of a monitor and say 'Is that what you want'? Regardless, I'd still rather see my 3 year old's face when hes ripping off that paper and is like 'WHEEEEEE!'(Flash Animation), and you can't deny how funny it is when they realize its clothes and just throw it aside.

crass but useful

[buzban]

Imagine, Uncle buys you a $20 widgit, yet, if you will put in $10 of your own money, you upgrade to a $30 widgit which only costs you $10, not $30...

after this holiday, i think i might like to trade my family and $10 to upgrade to a new one. anybody interested?

I remember...

[scott1853]

When I had to look through my parents bedroom to find out what I was getting for Christmas.

My son will be able to find out what he's getting if I forget to clear my cookies before I go to bed.

Gift Exchange

[Anonymous Coward]

Quotes from Charlie Brown Christmas:

Sally: "All I want is what I have coming to me. All I want is my fair share."

Another favorite:

Lucy: "I never get what I really want for Christmas. I always get a bunch of stupid toys and junk like that..."

Charlie Brown: "What is it you really want?"

Lucy: "Real estate."

This is old news

[DonkPunch]

Christmas was three days ago.

Re:This reflects the worst about Christmas and gif

[Zen Mastuh]

This is the parable from Cruel Shoes by Steve Martin:

The Gift of the Magi Indian Giver

Carolyn wanted so much to give Roger something nice for Christmas, but they didn't have much money, and they had to spend every last cent on cancy for the baby. She walked down the icy streets and peered into shop windows.

"Roger is so proud of his shinbones. If only I could find some way to get money to buy shinbone polish."

Just then, a sign caught her eye. "Cuticles bought and sold." Many people had told Carolyn of her beautiful cuticles, and Roger was especially proud of them, but she thought, "This is the way I could buy Roger the shinbone polish!" And she rushed into the store.

Later at home, she waited anxiously as Roger came up the steps of their flat. He opened the door and wobbled over to the fireplace, suspiciously holding one arm behind his back.

"Merry Christmas!" they both said, almost simultaneously.

Roger spoke. "Hey, Nutsy, I got you a little something for Christmas."

"Me too," said Carolyn, and they exchanged packages.

Carolyn hurriedly opened her package staring in disbelief. "Cuticle Frames?! But Roger, I sold my cuticles so I could afford to buy you some shinbone polish!"

"Shinbone polish!" said Roger, "I sold my shinbones to buy you the cuticle frames!" Roger wobbled over to her.

"Well, I'll be hog-tied," said Carolyn.

"You will? Oh, boy!" said Roger. And it turned out to be a great Christmas after all.

Truly heartwarming!

an unwanted gift

[rebug]

I've got this aunt. She lives in New Jersey, which should explain a lot.

So, one xmas, when I was about 12, me and my brothers all get similar looking presents. I opened mine first. Removal of the paper revealed a Pringles can (I forget the flavor).

"Oh," I thought, "she used Pringles cans as shipping containers." Already a little nutty, but sort of resourceful.

So I open my can, expecting anything but what was inside: Pringles. Pringles that had been shipped from NJ to CA. Pringles that had been pulverized into Pringle dust.

I guess maybe she thought we didn't have prigles here or something. Maybe that New Jersey air was to blame. I never had the nuts to ask what the hell she was thinking.

If I could have tossed that $1.25 or so at a shipping fee for something non-pringles online, I would have. It's not that I'm an ingrate, it's that some people are genuinely insane.